Questions for your Religious friends.

[Brian37]

Tacos make the world go round, that, and fat bottomed girls.

I agree with the first part. Not sure about the second lol.

That Queen song was popular, and while I like Tacos, I have to agree with you. While some guys like that, not everyone is the same. Nothing wrong with different likes.

[Angrboda]

[tackattack]

Do you believe faith is a way to know something that can't be derived from our senses?

I believe faith, as used by the religious, is by definition a sense. Their sense of God (via the Holy Spirit), in them to derive intent, causality and morality

Why do religious people hate atheists more than people who worship false gods?

For the same reason most people hate, lack of understanding and perspective, and sometimes really deep insecurities

Do you believe your religion logically requires you to vote for particular candidates?

Not typically. My beliefs are part of my identity, which informs my will and decisions. I can see similarities with different candidates, but that typically is through layers of biases and personal feelings which I don't find too reliable one. I personally, in my faith, would think my religion would not vouch for any candidate. General lessons, being all people are flawed, government should be separate from religion, ruling the world puts you in line with the current ruler of the world, God can work through the bad in people too. Three's not really much to say on worldliness, other than obedience, don't let it compromise you and try and do the best in your relationships to spread love.

[Angrboda]

Why do religious people hate atheists more than people who worship false gods?

For the same reason most people hate, lack of understanding and perspective, and sometimes really deep insecurities

That's why people hate, not why they hate atheists to the degree they do. I don't think anybody lacks understanding about sexual orientation, but gays end up near the bottom anyway.

Your answer doesn't explain why atheists are consistently hated more.

[Nay_Sayer]

Why do you reject The Flying Spaghetti monster and do you know Xhe has a plan for you?

[johndoe122931]

Why do religious people hate atheists more than people who worship false gods?

Arent pagans religious people as well? I will assume by religious people you mean Christians, please correct me if I'm wrong in that assumption. Well, I suppose for the same reasons so many atheists hate Christians. Personally, I don't think hate is the right word to use here. I don't think Christians hate Atheist, I think they just strongly dislike the fact that some Aethesit are extremely condescending and arrogant. Some atheist are very disrespectful towards Christians and mock us and disparage us with unruly remarks. Such as calling us dumb, stupid, ignorant, backwards, bigots, racist, homophobes etc. Many atheist insult God and Christ in so many ways and many Christians find that very off-putting. Some Christians believe that you are trying to take away their faith from them and cause them to be persecuted. Many think that you guys only live to remove God from everything we hold dear to us and value. For example, legalizing abortion. We as Christians are mostly against abortions and when you have atheist call us stupid bigots and misogynist and push for abortions up to full term they feel like you are infringing on their rights and beliefs are when atheists try so hard to remove God from say the dollar or the pledge again they see that as an attack on their faith. Many hold the idea that this country (USA) was founded on Christianity and that atheist are trying to change the fact that this is mostly a Christian nation and has been for centuries and make it into some type of nihilistic dystopia. 

This is kinda a hard question to answer though because not all Christians feel this way, but you must understand that not all of us are 4th, 5th, 6th generation Christians not all of us grew up Christian we are not just blindly following our parent's religion and when you make broad generalizations about us and our faith we find that very hurtful. Constantly mocking our God and telling us horrible things about a Being that we truly believe in for example Richard Dawkins famous quote 
 
 “The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”


You see that doesn't go over so well with us. We find that very hurtful. Now that is what I know from speaking with fellow brothers and sisters.

Now let me tell you how I feel about it. It hurts. It really does. I truly love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength I really do and when I see people calling God a fictional character or any one of the things mentioned above it really does hurt me. I understand that you have your own thoughts on Him and thats fine and I can typically take a punch, but then you call me a racist which I am far from it and call me a child abuser because I raise my children in the Christian faith, that hurts because I love my children deeply and do everything in my power to take care of them and provide for them I work hard to be a good dad and husband but when I see this it hurts, but I still try to respect your views and opinions and try not to do the same back. 

So you see a lot of it has to do with simply that our feelings are hurt. How else would you like people to respond by being told constantly that they are stupid and dumb etc? It's not easy hearing this stuff over and over, some of us are stronger than others, but we are flesh and blood humans just like everybody else we have feelings and emotions just like you. I know none of you likes hearing those things either so why do it to us? I could go on and on but I think you get the point.

Now disclaimer. When I say "you" I don't specifically mean you it's a generalization and again I am not saying all atheist do these things but a lot do. I personally just want to get along with everybody and love one another. I don't want to fight and argue I just want us all to be friends and love one another.

---

Do you believe your religion logically requires you to vote for particular candidates?

It depends. Let's say, for example, Trump. A lot of the people at my church voted for him, I did not and I made it clear as to why I didn't. Yet, we as Christians just like everybody else want to vote for the individual that has our needs and wants at the forefront of their minds. Now, will I vote for somebody who let's say for example is going to try and shut down every church? No. But does that mean I have to vote for every Christian leader that runs for office. I don't think so. I have no problem voting for somebody who is Atheist or Muslim or fill in the blank. Many will disagree with me, but let's just say I am not your typical IFB Christian. For me personally, when voting for a candidate I want somebody who is in the best interest of ALL the people. All my fellow Americans not just the left or the right, not just the religious or non-religious, but what is good for us as a whole. As far as I know nowhere in the Bible does it say that all Christians must vote X, Y, and Z way. Now I can go down a long rabbit trail about politics and religion, but Ill save that for later. Again, I'm not your typical Christian. Ill give one example, I don't think churches should be exempt from paying taxes and there are Biblical references to this. Some will not agree with me, but I try to be as consistent with scripture as I can. But let me be clear, I am not a liberal Christian either, After reading a lot of the posts made here you would strongly disagree with a lot of what I believe that's for sure!

[Fake Messiah]

Constantly mocking our God and telling us horrible things about a Being that we truly believe in for example Richard Dawkins famous quote 
 
 “The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”


You see that doesn't go over so well with us. We find that very hurtful. Now that is what I know from speaking with fellow brothers and sisters.

So instead of looking at the facts, you proclaim to be offended and that is the end of the discussion. Because Dawkins is right, God literally calls himself Lord Jealous, he does many genocides, he orders gays to be murdered, etc.

Is your solution to turn the blind eye to the terrible things God does in the Bible?

[johndoe122931]

Why do you reject The Flying Spaghetti monster and do you know Xhe has a plan for you?

What do you mean by reject? 

I am not sure who Xhe is.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Three questions I’ve actually asked religious friends recently:

‘Weather permitting, we’re cooking out this weekend. Can you and Susan make it?’

‘Why on earth would you build a loom?!’

‘That’s nice - was it expensive?’

I don’t ask my friends about their beliefs.

Boru

[johndoe122931]

Constantly mocking our God and telling us horrible things about a Being that we truly believe in for example Richard Dawkins famous quote 
 
 “The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”


You see that doesn't go over so well with us. We find that very hurtful. Now that is what I know from speaking with fellow brothers and sisters.

So instead of looking at the facts, you proclaim to be offended and that is the end of the discussion. Because Dawkins is right, God literally calls himself Lord Jealous, he does many genocides, he orders gays to be murdered, etc.

Is your solution to turn the blind eye to the terrible things God does in the Bible?

The fact is atheists are extremely disrespectful towards our God. Simple as that. You can disagree with what I said and that's fine. 

Well, I don't agree with Dawkins and I have that right. I am allowed to be offended by what he says. I will never try to stop him from saying those things that is his right as a person. 

I am not turning a blind eye to anything. I'm not sure what you want me to say. I just answered the question as honestly as I could. If you don't like my answer then that is fine by me, you don't have to. But we can still be friends.

---

Three questions I’ve actually asked religious friends recently:

‘Weather permitting, we’re cooking out this weekend. Can you and Susan make it?’

‘Why on earth would you build a loom?!’

‘That’s nice - was it expensive?’

I don’t ask my friends about their beliefs.

Boru

LOL, I love it!